ALPHA BIKER WHO CLAIMED HIS BROTHER'S MATE

45

RAFE’S POV

I swung my leg over the seat of my bike, bringing the engine to life. The roar matched the restlessness sitting in my chest. I had pissed her off again—something I seemingly couldn't stop myself from doing.

Jax pulled up beside me on his own bike, and without a word, we rode off, leaving Maya behind. I hated that we had to go; I wished this hadn't come up so I could stay and solve the problem between us. I tried to focus on my work because I had people to protect—people I had vowed to lay down my life for—but no matter how fast I drove, I couldn't outrun the image of Maya’s face or the way her eyes had burned with hurt.

The wind whipped past me, but all I could think about was her voice telling me I needed to work on myself. And maybe she was right. I loved in a different, or rather, a complex way. Or maybe I didn't even know what the heck love was. Goddess, it was f*****g complicated. Couldn't she f*****g read my mind or something?

I grunted, then turned to Jax, who seemed like he had no care in the world. Then I remembered he was married.

"Hey!" I shouted over the wind at Jax as we hit the long stretch leading toward the outlands of the MC. "You’ve been married for what—two years now?"

"Two years and counting, Alpha!" Jax yelled back, a grin audible in his voice.

"How the hell do you hold it down?" I demanded. "How do you manage? Women... they’re volatile. One minute she’s happy after the wedding, and the next moment we are squabbling because I yelled at her!"

Jax chuckled, and we both slowed our bikes to a more manageable pace.

"You want the secret? You have to be ready to be wrong, Alpha Rafe. Many, many times."

I frowned, shifting gears as we swerved around a bend. "What do you mean, wrong? If I’m right, then I’m right. I call the shots, and I am the man of the house."

"Wrong," Jax countered. "In a marriage, when your woman says you did something wrong, you did it. End of story. You can't argue, you can't logic your way out of it, and you definitely can't Alpha your way through it. You just accept it and move along. Even if you are right, just accept it. That will give you peace."

"That’s ridiculous," I protested, my grip tightening on the handlebars. "I’m the Alpha. My word is—"

"The way to live a long life, Alpha Rafe!" Jax interrupted with a laugh. "She is always right. Trust me. They make good decisions and they see things we don't. You should try listening to Maya, no matter how much of an Alpha you think you are. If she’s mad, there’s a reason. Fix the reason, and do not fight her. s*x also helps. Sometimes good s*x solves the frustration."

I was about to snap back with a retort about leadership and logic, but the words died in my throat as we spotted a thick, black plume of smoke rising from one of the small houses at the edge of the outlands. Then a scream pierced through the evening sky.

"Help! Someone, please, help!" It was a female voice—a helpless one.

Jax and I glanced at each other. Then, we kicked our bikes into a higher gear, tires screaming as we skidded to a halt in front of the small house. We didn't even wait to kick the stands down; we let the bikes drop and barged through the front door with our guns drawn.

The sight inside made my blood go still. There were two men pinned over a woman on the floor, their hands tangled in her clothes. Their intentions were written in the filthy sneers on their faces. They were about to r**e her.

"Hey!" Jax roared, c*****g his gun. He shot one of them in the leg, incapacitating him.

In that instant, the other man dove into the smoke. Jax shot relentlessly, but the man jumped out of the window, bolting with the grace of a trained scout.

"Go! Get him!" I barked, and Jax rushed out the door without hesitation.

“Are you okay?” I asked the woman, and she nodded, covering her body in shame. “There is nothing to be afraid of. I will send for the scouts instantly. You are safe now, okay?”

Then I turned to see the other man attempting to crawl away. I lunged forward, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck and dragging him out of the house and onto the dirt. He was heavy, but to me, he felt like nothing but a bag of trash.

Outside, I scanned the treeline. I could hear the sounds of a struggle in the distance, then the distinct sound of a transformation. A wolf howled, and I saw a dark shape vanish into the forest. I could tell the man had escaped, but at least we had his partner.

Jax emerged from the shadows a moment later, breathing hard. "He turned, Alpha," he panted. "He’s gone. But I couldn't pick up a scent. There was no telling if he was part of this pack—whether a biker or an elite. I don't know what or who that man is."

"Then this one will tell us everything," I snarled, looking down at the man under my boot. I reached down to haul him up, ready to break every bone in his hand until he gave me a name. "Who are you working for?"

I didn't see the flash of his weapon until it was too late. With the speed of light, he pulled a hidden dagger from his boot and drove it upward, burying the blade deep into my side. I gasped, the cold sting of the steel biting into my flesh.

Before I could even retaliate, the man pulled a small handgun from his waistband. He didn't point it at me. He pressed the barrel against his own temple.

BANG.

He slumped over, dead before he hit the ground.

"Alpha Rafe!" Jax yelled, rushing toward me.

I stumbled back, my hand clutching my side as warm blood began to soak through my shirt. I looked at the dead man, then at the woods where the other had escaped. Jax was right—something was happening on our land. And whoever was behind it was willing to kill to keep their secrets.